Sunday, January 31, 2010

Laura Grammys - ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SASHA FIERCE

BLACK EYED PEAS

GAGA'S THE FAME

DMB AND THE GRUGRUX KING

TAYLOR SWIFT'S FEARLESS............................


TAYLOR SWIFT WON!

I'm crying. I really am crying.

Her reaction is so sincere and grateful. She brings tears to my eyes. Do you hear me, BXsmith? This is a dream come true.

Well folks, it's been real. Thanks for your tweets!

Album of the Year or Sweet Jesus, this is the Longest Awards Show with the Least Awards Ever

Taylor Swift. Well done. Can I go to bed now?

My heart hurts a little for Gaga.

This was pretty fun, kids! What will be our next live blog venture, I wonder?

Looking forward to blogs to come. But right now I'm looking for my pillow and my painkillers...

Peace,
-J

Julia's Live Blog of the 90s Retro Love Fest

I've taken a hint from Laura's loopy post headings. She's a funny girl, that LVD.

You know what else is funny? Quentin Tarrentino announcing Drake and his relevance. Hilarious.

11:13 Either our sound went out, or Lil' Wayne just dropped a minutes worth of F bombs.

11:14 I love Eminem. Dear Lil Wayne, Get your PANTS OFF THE GROUND!

11:15 Drake, I can't tell if you are a legit artist or not because all I hear is auto tune. More Eminem, please! Thank you :)

11:18 Fail, CBS. Yes, rappers swear, but not for 3 minutes straight. Censor guy was a little trigger happy there...

Homestretch? Now? Maybe?

Laura Grammys - Eminem, Drake, Lil Wayne

11:13 Is Quentin Tarantino speaking in (dare I say it) Ebonics?

11:13 I'm so excited to see this performance.

Lil Wayyyyne and some auto tune.

11:13 Profanity or sound problems? Big sound problems? Profanity paragraphs?

11:14 Marry me, Eminem. Turns out Caleb Followill is an alcoholic.

I love how he still brings the energy. Mental note number 2: Eminem entry.

11:16 I love that Jamie Foxx is singing along and recording this performance.

11:16 So is T. Swizzie!!

11:17 Eminem. Marshall Mathers. Slim Shady. You are skilled. And I love the energy that he brings to every single project he does. The guy has officially "made it" and he still raps like he's hungry for it. Respect.

Grammy Laura's. I mean... yep.

I love you, Les Paul. And I love the electric solidbody guitar.

11:04 Ooo, and I love you Jeff Beck. Forget the girl with the bad hair.

11:05 Betting the fug girls are slamming the girl with the bad hair. Although I like her retro voice.

Laura Grammys - Maxwell performance.

10:55 I'm shoving a slice of pizza in my mouth. This is exhausting. Stay with us, followers. All six of you.

Maxwell, you're dancing.

10:57 Oooh, the lights in the shape of a flapping bird while he's singing "pretty wings". Stop it. Just stop.

10:58 Roberta Flack. I'm so tired of writing about how many retro nods are going on. They could have titled this years Grammys:

"2010: Something Old, Something New"

"2010: Relevant People, and People We Forgot About"

"2010: A look back on a few decades because we're beginning a new one"

You at least could've given us some warning.

HOME STRETCH- Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

Must. Stay Awake. 10 more minutes...where's my vicodin? It might make things more interesting at this point.

10:55 Maxwell to close the show? Please say he's closing the show. I'm closing my eyes...

10:55 love how Maxwell is just now getting he's due. He's been out as a legit artist for years. Brendan is discussing his memorable naked album cover (not Brendan's naked album cover. Maxwell's ;)

10:56 And we have "pretty wings" made of lights. More theatrics!

10:58 Roberta Flack? The American Idol finale/retroflashback continues. This is the second most awkward mash up next to MOS DEF and Domingo...

11:00 I've kind of been waiting for this In Memorium. Is that sick? Maybe. But just 'cause 2009 was the year of death. RIP Mary Travers. My parents miss you. But you live on in the make-shift sit-ins we have in our living room.

11:02 DJ AM

11:02 moment of silence for Les Paul...so glad I got to see that exhibit with LVD!

11:03 Just now realizing this thing isn't over yet...yipes. I'm getting too old for this.

11:04 Okay. Jeff Beck guitar solo. THIS is what the Grammys are about. Are you listening, Will.I.Am? I am.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog

10:40 Grammy dude just announced Adam Sandler, and the cluster**** continues. They decided to let one goofy 90s relevant guy who plays the guitar announce the other one, apparently. Cue the Dave Matthews...this one of your last acts, CBS?

10:41 And my 90's tally is now up to #451 with Dave Matthews taking the stage. I have completely re-lived all of junior high and high school memories in one night. Thanks, Grammys.

10:46 90's tally #452- Ricky Martin, ladies and gentleman. Still living that loca vida.

10:47 Funny how there have only been 4 awards actually broadcasted on this awards show

10:47 Well, B has redeemed not winning the AMA, apparently. Suck it, Kanye.

10:48 Beyonce "is nervous" that her chest will pop out of her dress is what...

Commercials are most welcome at this point, I must say...this is becoming a snoozefest.

Laura Grammy's - DMB/Female pop vocal

As a music teacher, I'm all about this "keep music in our schools".

10:41 Adam Sandler? Random.

10:42 Dave Matthews looks downright dapper.

10:43 Whoa, we've got a big band and a gospel choir backing him up. This is one of the most polished performances of the evening. The energy in this room has got to be crazy. They are having a blast and Dave, whether or not you are sick of him, is a career performer. The voice on that man. The skills. Well done.

10:46 RICKY MARTIN???? Shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon...
Lea Michelle is beautiful.

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Congrats, Beyonce, for Halo winning. You deserve it, as far as vocal chops go. Katy Perry, it is a joke that you were even nominated. Taylor, you're a good writer, but come on. In one song, Beyonce hits a low E flat AND uses her head voice. All seamlessly. And who can forget the riff that she does on "shining through my darkest NIiiiiggggggggghhhhhhht". This one was deserved. Go B!

I should also mention, Beyonce and I are born just a few days apart. And she grew up singing in the United Methodist church. Go Team!

The obvious conclusion is, someday I, too, will be winning many Grammys.

Grammies.

Grammy's.

Anyway.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

Okay, home stretch kids. This live blogging thing is tougher than I thought!

10:26 Bridge Over Troubled Water in Italian for the Haiti tribute. Of course.
Where's Simon and Garfunkel? And don't they know Van Duzer and Strukely are the next Simon and Garfunkel...

10:27 Mary J. bringing it as always. love her. She's so real. When she cries, I cry. And I don't cry alot. But she does. So it all balances out.

10:28 I may call it- this is my favorite performance of the night. Or maybe I'm just so over-stimulated I am just happy to hear something that I know is for sure classified as music.

Laura Grammys -Bridge Over Troubled Water

I LOVE WYCLEF JEAN. VIVA LA FUGEES.

The haitian cecilians. or whatever it is you say in that song of yours.

10:25 : Wyclef, please translate what you said to us in Creole.

David Foster*, Mary J Blige, and Andrea Boccelli. This sounds epic. I'm clapping already.

10:27 Bridge over Troubled Water, kind of cool in Italian. My voice teacher would be proud.

10:27 Mary J. I really like your covers lately. Starting with the U2 song you're covering nowadays. Secondly, bridge over Troubled water fits your stylings. You're super tasteful but always show off your chops. I'd like to apologize to you on behalf of the People's Choice Awards sound engineers. They didn't do justice to your awesome instrument. Thank goodness the Grammys sound guys know their stuff.

10:30 Two high notes hit. One by Boccelli, one by Blige. Two very very different sets of technique. Bocelli is opening up his mask resonance and reaching up into his passagio's extension. Mary J Blige is putting it in her nose and is grinding it out like a rockstar. Somehow, it works together. #musicnerd.

*Thank you to Brendan Smith who corrected me on this last name.

Laura Grammys - Rap/Sung Collaboration

Ego - Beyonce and Kanye West

Run This Town

I'm on a Boat

Dead and Gone

and it goes to...


RUN THIS TOWN Jay z Rihanna and Kanye West.

Well done. (Although Still tickled that "on a boat" was nominated.) Words cannot describe my love for Jay-Z. Separate entry to come on this subject.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

10:16 Mos Def and Placedo Domingo. MOSt DEFinitely MOSt awkward moment thus far.

Laura Grammys - Bon Jovi

To reiterate, nobody told Julia and me tonight was 90's night. But Bon Jovi has remained pretty attractive.

10:11 "Who says you can't go home" w/ the gal from Sugarland (question mark?) I've seen you live, baby, and you're awesome. Too bad this is in Bon Jovi's key and not yours.

10:12 Although Kudos to her for hitting those low notes. Again, love the 3 part harmony. I'm predictable that way.

10:14 Shocker that we voted for "Livin on a Prayer". This concert is getting a little exhausting. Although I'm gonna pull a Michael Weinberg here and say that this song is not in the original key. I'm gonna say go ahead and say it's at least a whole step lower.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

10:08 That Taylor Swift/Michael Jackson combo took a lot out of me...this better be good, Sheryl Crow...I like your earrings...

10:09 Just decided I'm voting for this damn Bon Jovi song they are plugging...fine, CBS, you got me. Even though I KNOW it's going to be Living on A Prayer. "Always" all the way...

10:10 and...CBS.com is moving too slow to vote. RIGGED. I'm onto you, CBS...

10:11 I just told everyone who Jennifer Nill (?) is. That's right, ME. The anti-country person (she's from Sugarland, btw. You're welcome. And her voice annoys the crap out of me. I'm pretty sure that's why I know who she is)

10:13 And everyone is on edge...which song is it going to be??? Living on a Prayer. Shocking.

10:14 Richie Sambora with the auto-tune before auto-tune was auto-tune.

10:15 We all want to know...is this the orginal key, Jon?? We think not. We hear at least a half step lower. Truth bomb. #musicnerds

10:16 Anti-climactic, CBS. Not going to lie. But I will still sing it at karaoke and during Rock Band.

Laura Grammys - Earth Song

Julia and I both agree that Lionel Ritchie plugging "This is it" out on DVD is tacky. We've probably both written it.

This had better be huge.

Celine Dion, I do love you. You still inspire the 12 year old girl that lives inside me.

Usher.

Carrie Underwood. Your dress is awesome.

Jennifer Hudson. Your voice is awesome. Carrie, yours is too, but your dress is way cute.

Smokey Robinson. Did not recognize you. Have you had work done?

9:58 Loving the stars in 3-D glasses and formalwear, even if it is a bit obnoxious that we have to see the faint blue and red outlines on our 2-D screen.

9:59 YES Jennifer Hudson. This song is in Michal Jackson's key, and yours.

10:00 Michael Jackson gets a standing ovation. That was pretty cool, albeit a little Fern Gully.

Michael Jackson's son accepting this award was the most captivating moment of this entire awards show so far. It was the first time Julia's and my fingers stopped tapping and we were glued to the screen.

You're missed, MJ.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

9:46 Taylor Swift time. AND... STEVIE NICKS! Holy crap...I am starting to understand and love this retro-ness now. Though, I also kind of feel like this is an American Idol finale. Anyone?

9:48 I was wondering why Taylor was wearing just a big flowy tunic...now I understand. Though she didn't do the spin.

9:49 Taylor is not the best live, but she's cute and can write.

9:50 What is that mini-banjo? And where can I get one?

9:51 haha- tweet from @Pasty: "It must be really easy to get dressed if you're Stevie Nicks. Same thing every day. It's like a uniform!" Truth. Mental note...

9:52 It must feel hella cool to have Stevie Nicks sing your song.

9:52 Lionel Richie! "All night long...all night long"

9:52 Cue Michael Jackson tribute...get out the tissues....

9:53 DVD plug? LVD and I say in unison: "Tacky"

9:54 LOVE EARTH SONG. Makes me think of my friend Mike Kenney singing it at karaoke to a giraffe

9:55 I'm going to refrain from making mean Michael Jackson comments. That whole respecting the dead thing...I do have some decorum.

9:56 Where are MY 3-D glasses, CBS?

9:57 Celine Dion?! Haven't seen her since 1992. Again with the 90's...

9:57 Brendan: "What is this, a PBS special?"

9:57 Carrie Underwood looks cute. LOVE Jennifer Hudson. Wish I could see her in 3-D, CBS!

9:58 3D glasses look normal on Rihanna. Just saying.

9:59 What does it mean when Michael Jackson's kids were the best part of that tribute with Celine, Usher, and Smokey on the stage? Can I say that? Too soon?

Laura on the Grammys - Taylor Swift

"Today was a Fairy Tale"

Taylor, I hate to say it because you're a good writer, and a good person.

You're a little flat live. Sorry, John Meehan. Truth bouillions. She IS improving. I've seen some live performances that were painful.

Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift- Julia is again writing about the retro-ness of tonight.

9:50 I'm laughing out loud at Stevie Nicks singing backup to "You Belong With Me".

9:51 STEVIE NICKS IS PLAYING THE TAMBOURINE IN TAYLOR'S BAND! Shake-a slap-a...

I do like that they re-styled this song. It's a risky choice but it makes it not so familiar.

Laura on the Grammys -rock album, zac brown performance

Best Rock Album:

Katy Perry, your dress is horrible and your demeanor irks my very being.

I feel uneducated in this Rock Album category, but congrats to Green Day. I'm jealous of you having shots with Kings of Leon.

Loving Leon Russel's blues piano. And Zac Brown Band sounds stronger while they're harmonizing. But they're growing on me.

9:39 Helloooooo, bluegrass roots! Zac Brown just broke out into a crazy picking bluegrass jam session at the end of this song, and it was RIDICULOUS and SKILLFUL.

I'm in, Zac Brown. I'm in.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

9:32 Katy Perry is helping Alice Cooper walk or vice versa? I can't tell. Either way, she should not be on the stage and should stop talking.

9:33 It's the night of Green Day apparently. And can we talk again about how they had a musical? So out of the loop on that one.

9:34 Yeah, Chris O'Donnell! It IS the 90s!!!!!

9:35 Zac Brown Band. Best New Artist apparently. And all they could come up with was the Star Spangled Banner? Or America the Beautiful, rather. Either way...not NEW.

9:36 I've never heard of Leon Russell, but I think I'm in love...

Laura's Grammies - Jamie Foxx

Robert Downey Junior just announced an opera performance, and it's Jamie Foxx.

AUTO TUNE CITY.

9:22 My roommate Natalie gasps as the auto-tune cuts out for a moment and we hear Jamie Foxx "speaking" along to his song.

The question is raised "shouldn't they have to do things live at the grammys?"

SLASH WITH JAMIE FOXX? playing November Rain? Julia is currently writing something about how this years grammy's are a nineties tribute.

not the best.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

9:18 Norah Jones doesn't even look like herself. Yeah, Ringo!

9:18 Record of the Year. OMG if BEP win, I will vomit.

9:19 This is a toss up...nail biting...

9:19 CHEERS! CHEERS! Victory! Kings of Leon!

9:19 Fergie is being a gracious loser and giving a standing O. Brendan: "There's no way that piece of sh** song would've won". Couldn't of said it better

9:19 Kings of Leon must've heard about the weekend we had...their entire speech was about drinking. Eh, it happens.

9:20 And...the Grammys is all about the theatrics tonight. What the hell...opera singers? Vikings?...JAMIE FOXX? Oh, NOW I get it...(???)

9:21 Johnny D: "I love how you can hear them switch on the auto tune"...

9:23 Natalie is scandalized by the lack of singing. Sadly, I am not.

9:23 Johnny D: "Oh, no! They let T Pain off the boat!"

9:24 All of us are confused as to what is live singing/beatboxing/whathaveyou and what is not. It's kind of a cluster....

9:24 SLASH!?@

9:25 November Rain?! Green Day? Alanis?! IT IS 90's Tribute night? Where's my flannel...

9:25 WOW. That was worse than the Peas.

9:26 Ke$ha! Beiber! haha! She TOTALLY brushed her teeth with Jack today. And maybe she took my vicodin as well.

9:27! Phew! I need a break after that...

Commercial Break 2!

Laura is explaining the difference between Song of the Year and Record of the Year (I still can't believe Beyonce won for song...grrr...and I'm still analyzing the Alanis bit...)

Laura: "For example, if Julia and I wrote a song, but recorded it with Brendan, Julia and I would win for 'Song of the Year' and Brendan and I would win for 'Record'."

YES. Indeed. LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

Laura Grammys - Best Record

Let's review the difference between Best Song and Best Record, shall we?

Song of the Year is a songwriter's award, it goes to the ppl that wrote the song, which sometimes is the artist, and sometimes is not. Record is about the engineering and the track itself This award goes to the artist, the people that recorded, mixed, and mastered the track. I'm educating the people in my apartment about it.

Think best "raw song" versus "best track".

oo Norah Jones looks cute. Ringo looks old.

NOMINEES FOR RECORD OF THE YEAR

beyonce halo

i gotta feeling black eyed peas

use somebody kings of leon YES YES YES YES THIS ONE

pokerface lady gaga

you belong w/ me taylor swift....


and the grammy goes to...


USE SOMEBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!

Caleb Followill is a gorgeous gorgeous man. Apparently I say the word "dreamboat" when I'm drunk. And Caleb, you're drunk too. Surprise surprise. So I'll go ahead and call you a dreamboat.

I'm so glad Kings of Leon won Record of the Year! It was overplayed, yet amazing. And i think the fact that it was so overplayed speaks a lot for the mass appeal the track had. It was well made and tasteful.

Well done! I can go to bed a happy girl, and it has nothing to do with the two-hour snow delay tomorrow.

Laura Grammys - Comedy album

Comedy Albums. Yawn.

Congrats, Stephen Colbert, you have a Grammy.

So does Obama, and Al Gore. For reading their books on tape. Question mark?

Give me MUSIC!

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

9:05 When did the Jonas' Bros go through puberty? Still don't get them. Maybe because I'm 28.

9:06 Lady Antabellum (sp?) yeah, i can't comment. I can't even spell their name. I will just sit and educate myself.

9:06 I've decided I do like this song.

9:07 Question. Why is their name Lady Antabellum if there are dudes in the band? Is that too gender traditional of me? Is SHE Lady Antabellum?

9:08 I'm so confused. I need Laura to educate me on this. But that was a good song.

9:09 Best Comedy Album? I suppose I can't really comment on this either

9:10 Who am I kidding? I can comment on anything. Weird Al is still alive?

9:10 I do love me some Kathy Griffin.

9:10 "Oh my God, Stephen Colbert has a Grammy"- Johnny D.

Laura on teh Gramies - Jonas Bros introduce Lady Antebellum

9:05 - Do I know who Lady Antebellum is? I think not.

9:05 - Oh, you're a country singer.

Kind of cool with the scrim theatre thing. Brendan Smith is going nuts because he is rooting for this country music pop crossover. :)

Three part harmony. Yes.


9:07 "It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need youuuu now".

Amen.

9:08 The guy singer could be pop if he wanted to. The girl is irreversably country.

Laura on the Grammy's (the apostrophe is a gag now.) Black Eyed Peas

Hahaha, Julia is a Black Eyed Peas hater and she just admitted she kind of likes this song "I'mma Be".

8:55 Much confusion over what the title of this song is. "I'm a beat?" "I'm a bee?"

8:56 BRENDAN SMITH (@bxsmith): "I just found out that Will- I-Am spells William!"

8:57 ooooooo "I Gotta Feelin" - Autotune on the mic!

I have to say, this performance is crazy and energetic. But after we've seen Gaga incinerated, and Beyonce with her army of droids, and Pink spin above our heads, it feels just meh to me.

8:58 I changed my mind. They have dancing boomboxes. Or washing machines, according to natalie.

Learn how to use a mic, Fergie. You're doing the "gangsta lean" with it and it's missing your mouth, and the sound is cutting in and out. This is amateur stuff right here. Come on. You're standing still.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

8:54 Miley- who are you talking to? Who will be posting and talking? You look more and more like Lindsay Lohan everyday...

8:55- IMMA BE. Imma be making fun of Fergie and her visor.

8:56 Sound just went out for a minute. Probably better that way.

8:56 Brendan just found out Will.I.Am spells William. Welcome to 2003, Brendan.

8:57 Oh, sh** just got real. Tonight's gonna be a...night where I wear my boots with my 'puter, Johnny D, thank you very much. I won't be smashing anything.

8:58: Julia: "what are those" (a la robot back up dancers) Natalie: "they look like Washing machines from here!"

8:59 And...it's over. Hopefully that's the last we hear of them in 2010.

Commercial Break!

Laura just started giggling at the M & M commercial for no reason. I do not join in her appreciation for animated characters. Or for country music, apparently.

Johnny D is laughing at my "boots and 'puter" comment. Yeah, I know it sounds dirty. Didn't mean it to be so.

BLACK EYED PEAS GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!! (Target commercial)

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

8:47 Two Thumbs up for Walter Miller!!

8:48 Boo for country. I'm sorry, I've never been a fan of country music. Give me MGMT. Silver Sun Pickups. So much goodness. I would love for someone to tell me what's Best and New about this Artist...Zac Brown Band...never heard of 'em 'til tonight.

Laura on the Grammys - BEST NEW ARTIST

Zac Brown Band
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings - YOU SUCK!


Zac Brown Band! Way to go, country! @bxsmith was just talking about how the country-pop crossover is way bigger now than before. Congrats!

Also, to qualify for best new artist you just had to release an album in this past year that establishes your "national identity". Therefore, although the Silversun Pickups have been around since my high school years, they are eligible. But I have trouble thinking of them as a "new artist". Same goes for MGMT.

Ting Tings, you can't Sing Sing.

Sorry, but it had to be said... said.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

8:43 Pink is still Cirque de Solie-ing it...

8:44 How does she sing like that? When did she become a circus act?

8:45 Everyone wants to be Lady Gaga now. But as Johnny D. just said..."better than the Britney era when they tried to out skank each other...". Well put. I'll take performance art spectacle any day.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

8:39 Laura just gasped at Seal. hahaha....

8:40 This is the year of the ladies...Pink, Beyonce, Gaga...

8:41 Pink can sing. I'll give her that. I kind of like the outfit. Classy but provocative? Maybe? I'm afraid she's going to like tear it off any minute though... I've come to expect wardrobe malfunctions from my pop stars...

8:42 Why don't I know this song? It's lovely.

8:43 And the clothes are off...let the crazy begin.

Laura on the Grammy's (Is there an apostrophe or not?) on Pink

8:40 - Julia is right. They just played Seal's "Kiss from a rose" - This IS the year in which we pretend we're in a different decade.

AND NOW PINK:

You do have a good voice, you do. And your eye makeup looks gorgeous. You are so soulful and gorgeous when you're not putting out the "I'm going to beat you up" vibe.

Gosh. And the way that most your songs are mixed really does diminish what a good voice you have naturally. Release more things like this, and I will love you.

8:42 She took her clothes off and is spinning above the stage in an acrobat-mobile. She is trying to be Gaga. But I can't blame her.

Side note: Can you imagine what rehearsals for this must have been like? "ok, go back two bars, and let's go over the part where we dip Pink in water."

8:44 Very cool. Very very cool. Gaga, if you're making everyone do performance art, to compete, I thank you.

8:45 Pink, you have no boobs. Good for you.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

8:31 Beyonce is still singing. Alanis Morrisette shout out?! WTF?? Apparently 2010 is the year we pretend we are in a different decade....

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

8:28 Beyonce wants to be Lady Gaga right now. Just saying. Love you, B...but didn't Rihanna walk in like this at AMA's last year??

8:28 "If I Were A Boy"? Haven't heard this since 2008.

Laura on the Grammys - Beyonce's performance

BEYONCE! Although I'm bitter about you stealing Kings of Leon's rightful award for best song, you're a talented lady and you work hard.

IF I WERE A BOY- Girl, if I could only belt like you. Guess I'll just have to stick to my guitar-and-piano-playing songwriting chick thing. Like Gavin.

Is Rihanna Drumming? or does the Drummer just have a Rihanna haircut?

I'm LOVING the big-band arrangement of this song. The horns really fill it out.

8:31 BEYONCE COVERING ALANIS????~!~!! Oh my gosh she's killing it. Edgy and unexpected. Definitely fresh.

8:32 Oh I see, it's a medley.

8:34 An argument is happening between @bxsmith and @julz422 (like that twitter speak?) In brendan's corner, he says beyonce's was the better performance. In julia's corner, she's rooting for Gaga and Elton John. What makes a good pop performance? A voice? A presence? Special effects? I'm going to say that Beyonce has the better voice, absolutely. But she doesn't write her own material. So that gives miss Gaga points in my book. I'm Switzerland and refuse to decide.
I'm a dork and I loved them both. They both gave me chills

They both have such energy and presence. They each know what their "gimmick" or their "trump card" is, and they work it.

Well done.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

8:25 Ugh...When in Rome? Looks Awful. And they can stop promoting now already. No one is going to see it.

8:25 Bon Jovi's never performed on the Grammy's?? Really? Why now????

8:26 Aw, Taylor. This is your year. You earned it. But apparently you already won like 3 awards? Why weren't these broadcasted?

8:26 "Impossible Dream" makes me want to sing Man of La Mancha style.

8:27 What..no Kanye???

Laura on the Grammys

8:24: Kristin Bell is cute. Wow, she's about a foot shorter than Josh Duhammel.

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM!

George Strait, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, LeeAnn Womack,

8:26 Taylor Swift wins! Due to a loud and HD-tv snobby roommate, we've missed what some of the nominees are. But I'm proud of you, Taylor.

Gosh she's just SO DARN CUTE! And GRACIOUS.

Either you're a really good person, or you're a PR genius.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog

8:15 Green Day the musical? I'm confused. Intrigued, but confused.

8:16 Aw, my dad loves Green Day. This makes me think of him :)

8:17 I feel bad for Green Day. They are like the revolutionary movement we never had, I suppose. Does that make sense? If only it were 1994 again. Dookie was the...well...yeah.

Laura on the Grammys

J- Lo, you're kind of tired lately. And I still haven't forgiven you for your New Year's outfit.

8:15 Wow, i forgot they made Greenday's stuff into a musical. And it kind of works so far, I feel.

8:16 Wow, I changed my mind. One twenty one guns does NOT work as a musical.

Laura on the Grammys

SONG OF THE YEAR

I'm voting for Kings of Leon all the way.

No one has heard of Maxwell, go away.

Beyonce, it's a good dance song, but no.

Gaga, I love you, but not your best song.

Kings of Leon YOU'RE MY BOYS!

(ps. Marry me, Caleb, Followill)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It's Beyonce for Single Ladies!

(It's ok, Caleb. Call me anyway.)

Laura on the Grammy's

It's 7:45. I'm warning you, sometimes I cry when I watch the Grammys. Seriously. When Amy Winehouse won and her jaw dropped and her band was going wild around her, I teared up.

My friend @bxsmith understands.

You see, I have this band. I'm a songwriter. I don't know if it's happiness for these artists that makes me tear up or imagining it happening to me, but I'm shooting for the top. You should just know that. So if I sound a little catty sometimes, perhaps it's envy. Envy envy envy.

Let's talk about Taylor Swift, shall we? First of all, she looks stunning. Second of all, she will be big in the music industry for a long, long time. She can write her own songs, and she maintains a very gracious, humble, and ladylike public persona. She's grateful for what she has, and darnit, she should be. She's in my "like" category- I think the whole package is what sells an artist- you can't be an inarticulate irrelevant ditz like Katy Perry and have people still want to hear what you have to say.

Also, how much do I want to be Lea Michelle?

7:58: Lady Gaga's outfit was expected to be crazy. But I want to talk about her SHOES! My designer sister goes nuts for Alexander McQueen.

8:00: I have the chills because of Gaga's entrance. A true performer.

8:02 And girlfriend can sing. And she's singing live. HOw I respect you.

But will you ever wear pants? Try it. We'd be SHOCKED if you showed up in jeans.

8:09 I HATE katy perry's BANGS! come on. you can be edgy. but gosh darnit at least do something flattering.

Julia's Live Grammy Blog!

Okay, I can't believe we are really doing this! Feelin' a little nerdy sitting with my girl Laura, computers poised, tv on. Wulp, welcome to the 21st century!

We've decided we will each be giving our invididual play by plays and then converging at some point...we'll see how this goes. I hope Laura's not wittier than I am (just kidding, LVD! Kind of).

First thoughts. E! Red Carpet Pre-Show:

7:53 Ashanti on the Red Carpet? Is it 2001? Where's Ja Rule? Didn't realize she was still relevant. My bad.

7:57 Laura just asked me if I "took my meds"...ha! Back story- gotta little slip of the disc in muh back. No biggie. Vicodin sure helps. I was tempted to take it before this Grammy business, ya know, to make for better commentary, but alas, I decided to be coherent. (Apparently, unlike Will.I.Am....)

7:59 Laura fumbles for remote to switch to CBS- "Not the Kardashians! NOOOooo!!!"

8:00pm Akon introducing Gaga. LOVE.

8:01pm Gaga singing a beautiful medley. She sounds great. Don't understand her 80s sequence outfit while she dances amongst the likes of the dancers from the Thriller video. But what's to understand?

8:02 of course she's not wearing pants.

8:03 I love the "Fame Factory" concept and Akon's vaudeville routine

8:03 (part) LOVE "SPEECHLESS". LOVE ELTON JOHN. All is right in the world. Can they please go on tour together???? NOW.

8:04 Gaga's owning the moment. She's looking into Elton's eyes. It's a match made in gay heaven.

8:09 I love that Stephen Colbert is 'hosting'. This is officially the best show ever.

8:12 Song of the Year already? BEYONCE?! I'm sorry, but Kings of Leon had the best song......BOO.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Do You See What I See?

Do you see that, popbloggers? That something way off in the distance? I know it doesn't look like much now but...

THE GRAMMYS ARE COMING!

I know that we have been on a way-too-long hiatus (for all 3 of you readers, God love ya!), but I am betting that this weekend's Grammys will give us more than enough fodder for blogs to come. So fear not! Laura and I just need to coordinate place and time and we are ready to blog perhaps even LIVE (from our houses) from the Grammys.

Until then, perhaps here is something to hold you over. Why YES it is about My Girl Gaga. How did you know?

1.) She is wearing what appears to be a She-Ra costume here. I HAD a She-Ra costume TOO. Okay, it was not quite like that. I was 5 and it covered my entire body. But I LOVED She-Ra. I wanted to BE her. Ergo, I love Lady Gaga even more.

2.) She is OPENING for the GRAMMYS! WIN!

3.) I love how Madonna sees herself in her. Of course you do, Madonna. When is it not about you? I know you contributed much to pop music as we know it, but a little humility goes a long way, Madge, if I may be so bold.

4.) Oh and- regarding that crazy video at the end... I'm gonna go ahead and say it. I don't like to brag but...Jesus and I are pretty tight. And I'm pretty sure He does not hate anybody. I did not even waste my time opening up that video from whatever Church hates my girl Gaga. Open at your own risk. Boo!

Hope to be writing something ruhl good for y'alls ruhl soon. Until then-
Peace,
Julia

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

So This is the New Year....

...and I don't feel any different." ( from Death Cab For Cutie's 'New Year' from their best album to date, 'Transatlanticism')

Happy New Year! Okay, so we're two weeks late. You know how the holiday season goes.

Laura and I were able to celebrate 2009 and the year in pop music properly over the holidays, I feel. As she mentioned, she did indeed "wake up in the morning feeling like P.Diddy" a la Ke$ha after my Christmas party, which in my mind, is a Christmas party well done.

Between Christmas and New Year's we both took to the great state of Ohio- me to stay with my family and Laura to visit the bf's fam (btw- I gifted my father with the great gift of Lady Gaga, Green Day- he's a fan-and the Bob Dylan Christmas album for Christmas. As I believe I've said before, pop music runs in our blood! And he was GRATEFUL for the Gaga, I'll have you know!)

Laura and I were able to meet up for a whirlwind trip to the Rock Hall. It had to happen. I had to laugh when I saw that Colbie Caillat's tank top and macrame pull-over from the likes of Hollister had been added in the "New and Now" section along with some Modest Mouse, Fesit, and Sara Barallies paraphernalia. (You know, GOOD MUSIC. ;)

I think I may have mentioned this in October- the last time I visited the Hall with a friend- I get a little giddy (okay A LOT giddy) everytime I stand in front of Jim Morrison's Christmas Cards to his parents, Jimi Hendrix's cartoon drawings, and John Lennon's original lyrics for A Day in the Life. The Catholic in me wants to equate them with relics, but the GOOD Catholic in me knows I can't :) The men were not saints...clearly. But what they gave to music and to the world is kind of immeasurable. No?

I'll leave Laura to leave her comments about the whirlwind tour of the land of Cleve :)

For New Year's, it was back to DC for me and my friends from CA were in town. We decided to do one of those fancy New Year's parties- the kind where you pay lots of money and dress up and pretend you're rich for one night (cue Death Cab for Cutie lyrics here: "So everybody put your best suit or dress on. Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once", also lyrics from the same song as this blogpost).

Third Eye Blind were the house band for this event and while they were fun (yes, they played the hits. They HAD to. Who knows anything they've released since 1999? Not I.), I really think the all you could drink bar helped me enjoy them. I could not help but wish that they were a.) still relevant and/or b.) were Kings of Leon

Speaking of....Kings of Leon has a hipster clothing line!?! What?! I can't tell if this makes them incredibly artsy and innovative or sellouts. I know Laura wants to write about music and fashion, so I'll leave her to do so.

The NYE event also had multiple rooms with DJs and I did get SUPER excited when Ke$ha was played. So much so that I texted Laura with the very vague message of just: "KE$HA!" I then had to kindly explain to her the next day that No, Ke$ha herself did not make an appearance, it was just me expressing my excitement for the song through drunk texting.

Also, I do remember enjoying moreso than usual the overplayed "Empire State of Mind" (love JayZ and Alicia Keys, but my God, are the stations killing that song for me). I didn't know it would be fun to dance to, and it still may not be, but in that current state I was in, it was the perfect song to ring in the new year with. (I like to play 'air-piano' to it. It's like 3 half-steps down and up over and over again)

So now that we have rung in the new year- what's in store for 2010!? Any predictions?! Here's what I am looking forward to:

a.) seeing how is Lady Gaga going to top 2009? More music? More outfits? I hope so.
b.) I think I also would, indeed, like to hear more from Ke$ha. Not because she's any kind of talented, but because it's deliciously bad for me. And those are the kind of resolutions I make...
c.) live podcasting and/or blogging the Grammys with my girl Laura

I hope 2010 will NOT bring me:

a.) NO MORE PEAS, PLEASE! Black Eyed or anything else. I need something new in my diet.
b.) a little less auto-tune, thank you.
c.) Rhianna drama.

Bring it on, 2010! You and your new digits that I still can't seem to write correctly on checks or any important document....

Happy New Year, all!
Peace,
Julia